Cheltenham Koloshi Restaurant loses licence over illegal workers

Kolishi Indian Restaurant and Bar has had its premises licence revoked

An Indian restaurant has been banned from selling alcohol, following a Home Office raid which found six illegal workers at the premises.

Koloshi Indian Restaurant on London Road had its premises licence reviewed and revoked by Cheltenham Borough Council this week.

The restaurant previously had a licence to sell alcohol every day from 09:00 to midnight.

However, the Home Office requested a review of its licence in April.

Officers visited the restaurant on 1 April and found six illegal workers, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

In August, Koloshi Gold (GB) Ltd was fined £90.000 for employing six people who did not have the right to work in the UK.

Legal representatives for the licensee told the licensing sub-committee on 11 October he could not comment on what the Home Office representatives said in relation to the raid and the finding of illegal workers there.

"My client became the owner subsequent to that. My client didn't know about this raid until he learnt from the council about the review."

He said they were not there to justify anything that had happened during the previous ownership.

His client has not had any issues with illegal working in 25 years of being in the industry, he said.

"He appreciates the damage that it does to the country and the people. It is a bona fide change of ownership."

'Questions over exploitation'

Licensing chairman David Willingham said the committee was unanimous in its decision to revoke the premises' licence.

"Six workers with immigration issues suggest complicity in providing work for trafficked individuals. This raises questions over exploitation, failure to pay national insurance and tax and national minimum wage."

He said given the rapid sale of the business for £100,000 a lot more due diligence should have been undertaken.

"People related to the company Koloshi Gold are still involved with the company Three Gold.

"On balance of probabilities the committee thinks the owners and the documentation still show evidence of control by Koloshi Gold and CBS Properties Limited.

"The committee is concerned these are all interconnected with the company Three Gold.

"The committee is concerned the current owner could still facilitate illegal working."